Casting machine for stereotype plates



June 27, 1939. E. s. BIRD CASTING MACHINE FOR STEREOTYPE PLATES Filed Oct. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l [Jim/r15 Bard June 27, 1939. E s, BIRD 2,163,658

CASTING MACHINE FOR STEREOTYPE PLZATES 4-6 47- 47L D i 49 1- W i 1 6 r EJ672757:- [dMardJBZ/d Patented June 27, 1939 UNITED STATES CASTING MACHINE FOR STEREOTYPE PLATES Edward S. Bird, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Reed-Prentice Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a,

v corporation of Massachusetts Application October 8, 1937, Serial No. 168,050 v 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a die casting machine, and particularly ,to' an arrangement for ejecting a cast stereotype from the die plate, and for separating the stereotype plate from the matrix from which the casting is made.

In'prior devices of this character, the removal of the stereotype plate has frequently caused the matrix to be withdrawn therewith, and, when the stereotype plate becomes too cool, it is almost impossible to separate the plate and matrix without damage to one or the other. The principal feature of the present inventionis a provision for the removal of the cast plate during the opening of the dies, so that the stereotype plate is automatically separated from the matrix and from the die and can be removed from the machine.

The casting of plates of this character is done with the molten metal: under extremely high pressure in the die. To avoid injury to the operator during the operation of the machine, one feature of the invention is a guard plate which surrounds the dies during the casting operation, and is automatically moved out of the way during the separation of the dies to permit access to the cast stereotype plate and the matrix within the dies. 7

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the'accompanyingdrawings, in which--- Fig. l is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 2. Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

1 With reference first to Fig. 1, the machine has a base Lin which is positioned a melting pot 2 for melting the metal to be used in casting of the stereotype plate. The melting pot has a vertical bore 3 in which a plunger 4 is slidable, the plunger forcing molten metal from themelting pot through a passage in the gooseneck 5 to the dies. The base has mounted thereon adjacent to the melting pot, a member 6, having a flat upper surface to which the lower die I is suitably fastened, as by bolts 8;. Fig. 2. 1' The member 6 has a plurality of vertical bores 9 adjacent the corners thereof, in which studs I are vertically slidable. The lower ends of the studs are connected to a plate I I which is in turn connected to a piston rod 52. A cylinder I3 mounted in the base of the machine has slidable therein a piston I4,

to which the piston rod I2 is connected. It will be understood that fluid under pressure directed to opposite ends of the cylinder I3 selectively causes upward and downward movement of the studs II).

A head I is mounted on the upper ends of the studs It], being held thereon by suitable nuts I6, and the upper die I1 is suitably secured, as by bolts I? Fig. .2, .to the underside'of the head. .The head has spaced vertical bores IB-in which studs I9 are slidable. These studs are connected at their lower ends to the member 6;and their upper ends support a crossbar 2|], the latter being locked in position by suitable nuts 2| on the studs. r

With reference to Fig. 2, the matrix ZLLfIOm which the stereotype plate is cast, is located in a recess 23 in the lower'die l, the latter also having a passage 24 communicating with the passage in the gooseneck, to provide for the admission of molten metal to-the space between the matrix and the underside of the upper die. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the upper die is shown in its lowermost position, from which it will be -apparent that the upper die has a recess 25 slightly smaller in area than the recess 23 which receives the matrix. The peripheral edge of the upper die around the recess engages with the edge of the matrix on three sides thereof and with the upper surface of the lower die on all four sides of the recesses in the dies to prevent leakage of the molten metal and to hold the matrix in position. It will be apparent from i Fig. 1, that at one edge of the matrix'there is a channel 26 in which is located a hardened insert 26' to form, with the upper die a continuation of the passage 24, through which the metal flows before being forced into the space in the dies above the matrix.

The upper side of the head I5 has vertical studs 21 which guide a vertically movable plate 28, the latter having suitable bores 29, in which the studs are positioned. The upward movement of the plate is limited by nuts 30 on the ends of the studs. The plate 28 carries a plurality of downwardly extending fingers 3|, which are relatively widely spaced, and held against vertical movement in the plate by locking nuts 32. The lower ends of these fingers 3| engage hardened steel buttons 33 located in recesses 33 in the lower die at points outside of the recess in which the matrix is positioned, and these fingers assure an elevation of the piate 28 to its uppermost position, as determined by the nuts 30 when the head I5 is in its lowermost position. The fingers 3I are guided by bores 34 in the head l5, in which the fingers are slidable.

A plurality of vertical rods 35 are vertically slidable in bores 36 in the plate 28 and in bores 31 in the head l5, these rods being widely spaced to engage with the matrix in the lower die at points outside of the recess 25 in the upper plate, the recess in the lower die in which the matrix is located being slightly larger in area than the recess 25, so that the edges of the matrix project beyond the edges of the stereotype plate, when cast, to engage with the lower ends of the rods 35. A coil spring 38 on each rod is located between a collar 39, pinned to the rod, and a sliding collar 40 engaging with the underside of the plate 28, so that each of the rods 35 resiliently urged downwardly to strip the matrix from the stereotype plate during the upward movement of the head 15 for separating the two dies.

The plate 28 also has downwardly extending pins 4H locked against movement relative to the head by clamping nuts 42, and guided by suitable bores 43 in the head l5. These pins are less widely spaced than the rods 35, and are in a position for the lower ends of the pins to engage with the stereotype plate in the upper die for ejecting the plate from the recess in the upper die in which it is cast.

It will be understood that during the casting of each plate, the head I is held in its lowermost position by suitable means which may be, for example, the fluid pressure actuated means com prising the cylinder l3 and piston [4. When the plate has been cast, the head is elevated by the direction of fluid under pressure to the underside of the piston [4, to cause upward movement of the head into a position for a set screw 44 extending upwardly from the plate 28 to engage with the cross bar 20, thereby procuring a downward movement of the plate 28, relative to the head l5, for ejecting the cast plate from the upper die.

As the head l5 moves upwardly to separate the upper and lower dies, the downward pressure exerted by the springs 38 on the rods 35 is trans mitted to the edges of the matrix to strip the latter from the stereotype plate in the recess in the upper die. As the head continues its upward movement, engagement between the set screw 44 and cross bar 2!? causes a downward movement of the plate 28 to force the plate out of the recess in the upper die by the action of the pins 4!.

When the dies are brought together for the subsequent casting operation the fingers 3| assure a retraction of the pins 4| from within the recess in the upper die so that the ends of the pins will not be cast into the stereotype plate.

The head [5 has mounted thereon a rectangular guard 35 which, during the casting operation, rests on a lug 45' on the member 6 and provides a shield extending between the member 6 and head l5 completely surrounding the dies. Thus, if for any reason molten metal escapes from between the dies it is stopped by the guard and cannot injure the operator or any one near the machine.

The guard is supported on one end of each of a plurality of arms 46, Fig. 3, each pivotally mounted on a stud 4'! on the ends of the head l5.

A stud 48 connects each arm to the guard 45 and the arms are mounted to rock in unison to cause an upward movement of the guard to permit access to the space between the head l5 and member 6 and to the dies when the head I5 is in raised position. The end of each arm, opposite to the end connected to the guard, has a projecting pin 49 in a position to engage with the lower end of a vertical rod 50 extending downwardly from an arm 5| integral with the cross bar 20. As the head 15 reaches its upper position the several rods 50 engage the corresponding pins 49 and thus, by a rocking of the arms 46 on the studs 41, elevate the guard into a position such that its lower edge is higher than the lower surface of the head l5.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides for an automatic separation of the matrix from the cast stereotype plate and for an automatic ejection of the plate from within the die. This separation and ejection are responsive to the upward movement of the head which separates the upper and lower dies at the end of each casting operation, and the same upward movement of the head elevates a guard which extends around the dies to withdraw the guard from operative position, thereby permitting access to the dies and to the plate and matrix therein.

I claim:

1. In a machine for casting relatively thin plates, a pair of dies between which the plate is cast, one of the dies being movable'for separation of the dies, a guard extending around the dies and mounted on the movable die, said guard being normally located in a position to shield the dividing line between the dies, and means responsive to the movement of the movable die in opening the dies for shifting the guard relative to the movable die into inoperative position for access to the dies.

2. In a machine for casting stereotype plates, a pair of dies between which the plate is cast, a matrix in a recess provided by the lower die, the upper die having a recess in which the stereotype plate is cast, said upper die being movable for separating the dies, a plate carried by said upper die and movable relative thereto, a plurality of fingers carried by the plate and slidable in the upper die, the lower ends of said fingers being adapted to extend into the recess in the upper die for engagement with the cast plate, means engageable with the plate carrying the fingers during the movement of the upper die for causing the fingers to move relative to the upper die to eject the cast from the recess in the upper die, rods slidable in the upper die and resiliently urged downward, said rods engaging at their lower ends with the matrix outside of the edge of the stereotype plate for separating the matrix from the plate during the separation of the dies and prior to the ejection of the stereotype plate from the upper die and other fingers carried by the plate and extending downwardly for engagement with the lower die during the closing of the dies to retract the first fingers from within the recess in which the stereotype plate is cast.

EDWARD S. BIRD. 

